‘Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don’t give it any value.” —Canadian “Human Rights” Investigator Dean Steacy, responding to the question “What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate?”

This is the way free speech ends, not with a bang but as the result of an administrative hearing in a windowless basement in Vancouver, Canada.

At least that’s where a “Human Rights Tribunal” is taking place this week that will further solidify the Canadian legal position that the right not to be offended by something you read is more sacred than the freedom of the press.

At issue is a cover story National Review’s own Mark Steyn wrote for the Canadian newsweekly Maclean’s, titled “The Future Belongs to Islam.” An excerpt from Steyn’s bestselling book America Alone, the article highlighted the fact that demographic trends suggest that Muslims may well become a majority in much of Europe and that this obviously represents a threat to Europe as we know it. A few Muslim law students objected to the article and filed multiple complaints with Canada’s national and provincial “human rights” tribunals and presto! Steyn’s opinion and Maclean’s right to print it have now been effectively criminalized.

The fact that a few fringe Muslims have reacted to Steyn’s article by invoking a once-obscure Canadian bureaucratic process to hold hostage the rights of all Canadians only goes to prove that Steyn needs to be heard, more than ever.

So with all due respect to our friendly neighbors to the north, what the hell is wrong with Canada and how did this happen?

In 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) was founded “to investigate and try to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal jurisdiction.” While their mandate was suspiciously vague from the get-go, even those involved with the founding of the CHRC admit that it was never intended to do anything as abhorrent as regulate speech. At the outset, the commission’s responsibilities were fairly straightforward, e.g. investigating cases of discriminatory hiring practices within the government, discriminatory housing practices, and other cases in which someone might be subject to prejudice in an area under the purview of the federal government.

But with almost Newtonian certainty, bureaucratic power tends to expand over time, and so it was with the CHRC. In 1979, the commission set its sights on John Ross Taylor, leader of the Western Guard Party, an unsavory white-supremacist group. The commission found Taylor guilty of violating Canada’s human-rights legislation for distributing a phone number that provided anti-Semitic recorded messages.

Now whatever you think of Taylor, he wasn’t broadcasting hate speech: One had to make the specific effort to call the number to hear his nasty messages. So Taylor filed an appeal on the grounds that the Human Rights Commission had denied him his right to free speech.

By 1990, the case finally wound up before the Supreme Court of Canada, in Canada (Human rights commission) v. Taylor. At issue were two conflicting pieces of law. First, section 13.1 of the Canadian Human Rights Act:

13. (1) It is a discriminatory practice for a person or a group of persons acting in concert to communicate telephonically or to cause to be so communicated, repeatedly, in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a telecommunication undertaking within the legislative authority of Parliament, any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.

And of course the Canadian Charter of Rights (similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights), which one would think is pretty clear:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

a) freedom of conscience and religion; b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and d) freedom of association.

Supreme Court of Canada split 4-3 on a decision that declared that section 13.1 of the Canadian Human Rights Act did not violate the charter of rights, and it remains constitutional. Oh sure, the justices in favor made grumblings about applying a high standard when enforcing the Human Rights Act, but despite their admonition, the general interpretation by the human-rights commissions is that they now have free rein to regulate the media. The slippery slope has been a toboggan ride to hell ever since.

What this means is that everyone in Canada now has fundamental freedoms, provided they’re not in conflict with whatever specious definition of “human rights” the CHRC chooses to apply. The threshold for conviction set by the Human Rights Act is incredibly low, because its highly subjective language means that “likely to cause contempt” is as good as a preponderance of evidence establishing guilt. There’s also the matter of the commission’s tribunals, which — unlike legal proceedings — are largely administrative in nature, so there’s little in the way of formal rules of evidence or procedure. There are few things in life more terrifying than being dragged into court knowing ahead of time that truth isn’t necessarily a defense and that the judge is winging it.

As a result, the Canadian Human Rights Commission is stunningly effective: In its 31 years of existence, not a single complaint brought before it has been dismissed. That's right: Everyone is guilty before God and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

But that’s only half the story. With the legal hurdles cleared, the national commission wasn’t alone in being empowered — the regional Human Rights Commissions and their corresponding tribunals were too. There’s a labyrinthine series of these kangaroo courts in Canada; there are also the provincial human-rights commissions and their corresponding tribunals, each with its own differing laws.

So when a group of Muslim law students filed suit against Steyn and Maclean’s, they didn’t just go to the CHRC. They also went jurisdiction-shopping. In addition to the national complaint, they filed complaints with the British Columbia and Ontario tribunals as well, as those were the two provincial commissions whose laws they felt would be most favorable to their case. That’s how this week’s hearing in Vancouver got underway, and the national tribunal is pending.

Ontario ’s commission said it would decline to take the case because Ontario’s Human Rights Code “does not give the Commission the jurisdiction to deal with the content of magazine articles through the complaints process.” But in their statement, they took the opportunity to condemn Steyn and Maclean’s because they have “a broader duty to express [their] opinion regarding issues that are brought to [their] attention which have implications from a human rights perspective.” They continued:

The Commission is concerned that since the September 2001 attacks, Islamophobic attitudes are becoming more prevalent in society and Muslims are increasingly the target of intolerance, including an unwillingness to consider accommodating some of their religious beliefs and practices.

Unfortunately, the Maclean’s article, and others like it, are examples of this. By portraying Muslims as all sharing the same negative characteristics, including being a threat to “the West,” this explicit expression of Islamophobia further perpetuates and promotes prejudice towards Muslims and others. An extreme illustration of this is a “blog” discussion concerning the article that was brought to the attention of the Commission which, among many things, called for the mass killing, deportation or conversion of Muslim Canadians.

So Steyn and Maclean’s are thus responsible for a “blog” discussion they had nothing to do with about killing Muslims? Can I file a complaint with the Canadian Logic Commission?

As ridiculous as the complaint against Steyn and Maclean’s is, it’s performing a valuable service in bringing some much-needed attention to the problem of these commissions. For far too long they’ve been empowered to run rampant. Recent “human rights” cases include:

Earlier this year, former CHRC employee Richard Warman went trolling for an open wi-fi connection in Ottawa so that he could post racist comments under assumed names on an allegedly racist website and then lodge a complaint with the CHRC charging the site owner with, well, being racist. Warman had appeared before the CHRC 12 times before, and wouldn’t you know it, the CHRC ruled in his favor 12 times. Talk about a racket. Except this time there was collateral damage: The name and address of the innocent sucker with the open wi-fi connection was read aloud during the court proceedings and made its way into the newspapers as being the origin of the racist comments. He was not amused.

In 1999, a Christian printer was fined $5,000 for refusing to print a series of pro-pedophilia essays. He spent $40,000 in legal fees trying to defend himself.

In 2005, the Knights of Columbus of Port Coquitlam, B.C., were fined for refusing to rent their hall for a lesbian wedding.

There’s simply no point in naming all of the clergy that have been brought up on charges for preaching against homosexuality. Suffice to say it’s more than a few.

In 2002, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission ordered the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Hugh Owens each to pay $1,500 to three complainants for running an ad that quoted Bible verses condemning homosexuality. The decision was overturned by an appeal court . . . four years later.

In January of this year, Ezra Levant, publisher of Canadian conservative magazine The Western Standard, was brought up on charges for publishing the infamous Danish Muhammad cartoons as a matter of informing his readers what all the fuss was about. Since then another unrelated complaint has been lodged against him — and, as near as I can tell, the entire conservative Canadian blogosphere — by none other than serial crank Richard Warman.

This kind of nonsense on stilts is now the accepted norm in human-rights tribunals. With Steyn and Maclean’s involved, supposedly enlightened liberal Canadians — who needs free speech when we have socialized medicine?! — may not be able to dismiss the victims of the injustice this time around as merely neo-Nazis or those backward Christians. Steyn’s fame precedes him, and Maclean’s is a beloved national institution in Canada, with ample resources.

In fact, according to Andrew Coyne of Maclean’s they’re hoping to lose the case in Vancouver this week so they can bring it to a real court of law, and possibly set a precedent that could be the beginning of the end of Canadian “human rights” tribunals. Here’s hoping.

I wouldn't mind seeing Canada's Great Censor, Richard Warman, thrown in jail for a good long while...

This is nothing new. When gay marriage was being debated, Roman Catholic priests were being threated with being dragged in front of tribunals, which violates Canada's biased "hate" laws own exceptions. Then there are the Roman Catholic newspapers that have come under fire for a whole bunch of things.

« Last Edit: June 09, 2008, 01:51:36 PM by Friul »

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Wow. I have never heard of such a thing. How present is this phenomenon in the Canadian public consciousness?

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Moved to Free-For-All: Non-Religious Topic. Lets make sure we keep the subject on freedom of speech or it will probably end up in politics. -- Friul

How prevalent is it? Well it depends. What is your belief system like? Not all warm and fuzzy, not very PC, like to speak you mind? There is a good chance if you write anything on a public medium that you could get into trouble. University clubs and newspapers have been investiagted, though I am not sure of any that have gone to tribunal. Usually they will use scare tactics you shut you up, since tribunals cost a pretty penny, but they enjoy making examples of some people.

I mean, David Icke is an odd fellow, but his beliefs are his beliefs. Yet, since he mentioned that *gasp* certain Jewish families might be Reptillian humanoid shapeshifters who rule the world through the Illuminati... he has gotten into a lot of trouble and under pressure, his books were pulled from shelves for being "hateful" and "anti-Semetic".

Unfortunately, it is not too present in the minds of most Canadians, mostly because it gets disturbingly little press. The only time it does is when large, more powerful groups, like the Canadian Catholic League, pledge to fight it tooth and nail. When a lone Canadian is charged though, since he or she spoke his or her mind though, unless you religiously follow the various tribunals and their cases, you will never hear about it.

« Last Edit: June 09, 2008, 02:16:22 PM by Friul »

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Canada's Conservative government is considering a probe of the investigation techniques used by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which have been widely criticized as a threat to free speech and due process.

A letter saying that the first parliamentary steps had been taken was written to a constituent by Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, also the nation's attorney general, and posted by popular Canadian blogger Ezra Levant.

"[Conservative Member of Parliament] Rick Dykstra has tabled a motion that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights examine and make recommendations with respect to the [Canadian Human Rights Commission], including its mandate, operations, and interpretation and application of provisions relating to section 13 of the [Canadian Human Rights Act], which addresses hate messages," Mr. Nicholson letter reads.

Mr. Levant also posted the parliamentary motion at his site, EzraLevant.com.

The filing is a change of heart for Mr. Nicholson and the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. In May, Mr. Nicholson's office filed a 50-page legal submission in support of the commission's attempt to stop a defendant from cross-examining the commission's investigators on their tactics. The submission also praised the work of Canada's human rights commissions and tribunals.

News of the submission led to Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Harper drawing heavy criticism, and many conservative and civil-liberties groups had threatened to boycott the Conservative Party's fundraising efforts despite the possibility of a summer election.

You can imagine the ammunition that gave him, eh? The Reptillian Humanoids were pulling their strings.

I am sorry, if you were called a 7 foot tall, blood drinking, reptillian shapeshifter from the Draco constellation, would you really be so up in arms and insulted to file a human rights complaint?

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Wow. I have never heard of such a thing. How present is this phenomenon in the Canadian public consciousness?

This is a very complex question. To answer it fully, I would probably have to move my answer to "Politics". However, it is safe to say in answer, "somewhat present, but not in the extreme way presented here", though it is true that Canada was founded upon the principles of "peace, order, and good government" rather than "justice and liberty for all." Personally, as a Canadian, I am very jealous of and thankful for the personal freedoms that I have been granted in this society, and in no way wish to see them eroded, and I have made my feelings known to politicians concerning this on more than one occasion. (BTW, The official who refers to freedom of speech as being an "American concept" is full of malarkey. The British have a long tradition of upholding the principle of freedom of speech, and the Canadian parliamentary system is based on that of the British, so....well,there you are.)

I do think that Canadians tend to take their freedoms too much for granted, and are too passive in this regard. (This is part of the whole "peace, order and good government" legacy that is imprinted in the Canadian consciousness, particularly the central Canadian consciousness, the most populous part of Canada.) I also think that the Canadian parliamentary system is urgently in need of reform, but this is a subject for "Politics".

How apparent are "Canadian differences" to the sensitive American observer who chooses to visit our fair land? I suppose it would depend on the situation and place. Sometimes, not much at all. (I have heard Toronto referred to as a "manageable Manhattan" or a "poor Manhattan". ) At other times, one would probably notice that while Canada is decidedly "North American", it is most certainly not "American."

This is a very complex question. To answer it fully, I would probably have to move my answer to "Politics". However, it is safe to say in answer, "somewhat present, but not in the extreme way presented here", though it is true that Canada was founded upon the principles of "peace, order, and good government" rather than "justice and liberty for all." Personally, as a Canadian, I am very jealous of and thankful for the personal freedoms that I have been granted in this society, and in no way wish to see them eroded, and I have made my feelings known to politicians concerning this on more than one occasion. (BTW, The official who refers to freedom of speech as being an "American concept" is full of malarkey. The British have a long tradition of upholding the principle of freedom of speech, and the Canadian parliamentary system is based on that of the British, so....well,there you are.)

I do think that Canadians tend to take their freedoms too much for granted, and are too passive in this regard. (This is part of the whole "peace, order and good government" legacy that is imprinted in the Canadian consciousness, particularly the central Canadian consciousness, the most populous part of Canada.) I also think that the Canadian parliamentary system is urgently in need of reform, but this is a subject for "Politics".

How apparent are "Canadian differences" to the sensitive American observer who chooses to visit our fair land? I suppose it would depend on the situation and place. Sometimes, not much at all. (I have heard Toronto referred to as a "manageable Manhattan" or a "poor Manhattan". ) At other times, one would probably notice that while Canada is decidedly "North American", it is most certainly not "American."

Thanks for the synopsis. Coincidentally, I'll find myself once again in Canuck land for 4 days in September, this time on my honeymoon. 3 days in Niagra-on-the-lake, but one day trip to Toronto (where I haven't visited in probably 2 decades).

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Thanks for the synopsis. Coincidentally, I'll find myself once again in Canuck land for 4 days in September, this time on my honeymoon. 3 days in Niagra-on-the-lake, but one day trip to Toronto (where I haven't visited in probably 2 decades).

You're welcome.....and congratulations! Niagara-on-the-Lake is a wonderful spot. I have fond memories of attending the Shaw Festival or of simply wandering around the town. I'd offer to come down and greet you, but you will be busy. Maybe next time.

You're welcome.....and congratulations! Niagara-on-the-Lake is a wonderful spot. I have fond memories of attending the Shaw Festival or of simply wandering around the town. I'd offer to come down and greet you, but you will be busy. Maybe next time.

Indeed, Niagra-on-the-Lake is a wonderful spot. The one park right on the gorge rim, I think it's named after a fort, anyway, I always like seeing the black phase grey squirrels that inhabit that area. I know, obscure, but how many times do you get to see a bunch of black phased grey squirrels in one place? Wow, it's been a while since I've been up there, it's a nice place indeed.

Thanks for the synopsis. Coincidentally, I'll find myself once again in Canuck land for 4 days in September, this time on my honeymoon. 3 days in Niagra-on-the-lake, but one day trip to Toronto (where I haven't visited in probably 2 decades).

Congratulations! My wife and I went to Canada on our honeymoon (Winnepeg and Lake Superior), and we had a wonderful time. We had planned to go back this year, but it's just not affordable anymore. One day.

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"It is remarkable that what we call the world...in what professes to be true...will allow in one man no blemishes, and in another no virtue."--Charles Dickens

Thanks for the synopsis. Coincidentally, I'll find myself once again in Canuck land for 4 days in September, this time on my honeymoon. 3 days in Niagra-on-the-lake, but one day trip to Toronto (where I haven't visited in probably 2 decades).

Congratulations! My wife and I went to Canada on our honeymoon (Winnipeg and Lake Superior), and we had a wonderful time. We had planned to go back this year, but it's just not affordable anymore. One day.

Especially with gas prices at $1.34-1.35/litre (> 5 USD/gal), it is expensive to drive around town, let alone travel anywhere.

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

You're welcome.....and congratulations! Niagara-on-the-Lake is a wonderful spot. I have fond memories of attending the Shaw Festival or of simply wandering around the town. I'd offer to come down and greet you, but you will be busy. Maybe next time.

I've been to the Shaw twice now (once with parents, on my way to seminary, and once with parents and grandparents). In fact, it was my talking up the Shaw, the vineyards, and the countryside that motivated my fiancee to make Canada a stop on the honeymoon excursion.

Indeed, Niagra-on-the-Lake is a wonderful spot. The one park right on the gorge rim, I think it's named after a fort, anyway, I always like seeing the black phase grey squirrels that inhabit that area. I know, obscure, but how many times do you get to see a bunch of black phased grey squirrels in one place? Wow, it's been a while since I've been up there, it's a nice place indeed.

Congratulations! My wife and I went to Canada on our honeymoon (Winnepeg and Lake Superior), and we had a wonderful time. We had planned to go back this year, but it's just not affordable anymore. One day.

Sounds grand! We're fortunate to have friends who can get us discounts on stuff... Otherwise afford-ability would be a factor.

Thanks all for the well-wishes.

« Last Edit: June 27, 2008, 01:11:00 PM by cleveland »

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Why, have my eyes failed me or have a few of us drifted from topic-at-hand? Perhaps this isn't my concern, or perhaps it is. You see, I've noticed a few of the last posters have taken umbrage with Myhrr23 with digressing on another thread and yet here we are way off topic. Oh, how catty of me. Now let us set back and enjoy the show as they fall over themselves with words of forgiveness for calling them out. Camembert? Check. Savoury biscuit? Check. Cigarette for finale? Double check, you cheeky thing.

Why, have my eyes failed me or have a few of us drifted from topic-at-hand? Perhaps this isn't my concern, or perhaps it is. You see, I've noticed a few of the last posters have taken umbrage with Myhrr23 with digressing on another thread and yet here we are way off topic. Oh, how catty of me. Now let us set back and enjoy the show as they fall over themselves with words of forgiveness for calling them out. Camembert? Check. Savoury biscuit? Check. Cigarette for finale? Double check, you cheeky thing.

So, how does your smug little aside (where you call out no less than five of our moderators for their "hypocrisy") work to actually get this thread back on topic? ISTM that you posted the above only to taunt us and congratulate yourself for your perspicacity.

Why, have my eyes failed me or have a few of us drifted from topic-at-hand? Perhaps this isn't my concern, or perhaps it is.

You know what irony is? I've got a good example: steering a topic off course by detailing how you think the topic has been steered off course. At least we (in our digression) were still speaking about Canada - which is the subject of thread, iirc. You didn't even drop its name (Canada) in your post - instead, you skipped over the subject matter at hand (life in Canada) completely. Heck, I think my last two sentences had more to do with the OP than your whole post, come to think of it.

"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

I'm sure this will be a hot export to us south-of-the border folks...coming to a university near YOU any day now, if it's not here already.

Back in 1982 is more like it.

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Keep Fr. Alphonse de Valk in your prayers. He could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines, possible jail time, etc at the hands of the Tribunal.

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Keep Fr. Alphonse de Valk in your prayers. He could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines, possible jail time, etc at the hands of the Tribunal.

What happened?

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Thankfully, the complaint against the 'Catholic Insight' and Fr. de Valk (the editor) have been dropped. The complaint was filed by Edmonton-based homosexual activist Rob Wells against the publication because he found the Roman Catholic Church's views expressed in this publication on homosexuality and same-sex marriages as "willfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group" (which violates our Criminal Code 319[2]). Though the complaint has been dropped, 'Catholic Insight' now has over $20 000 in legal fees to pay (the legal fees for those who file the complaint are covered by our tax dollars...). This filing a complaint and withdrawing it has become fairly common due to the crippling legal fees and tarnished name it brings to those who are asked to appear before the tribunal.

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

This filing a complaint and withdrawing it has become fairly common due to the crippling legal fees and tarnished name it brings to those who are asked to appear before the tribunal.

Thankfully in this country folks who pull these kinds of shenanigans can be prosecuted or counter-sued. Locally we even had a township who was fined and barred from writing traffic citations because a circuit judge determined that they were writing excessive (quantity) and frivolous (quality) tickets.

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Thankfully in this country folks who pull these kinds of shenanigans can be prosecuted or counter-sued. Locally we even had a township who was fined and barred from writing traffic citations because a circuit judge determined that they were writing excessive (quantity) and frivolous (quality) tickets.

There are some rumours floating around that multiple Christian (not only RC) organisations that have been targeted (this magazine, Knights of Columbus, Protestant Publishers, etc) are going to be counter-suing several gay-rights organisations and activists that have done nothing but clog an already flawed system with complaints, but nothing has materialised yet. I am relieved but shocked too that this was thrown out since many people have been successfully charged and found guilty under these farces of tribunals. The mayor of London, Ontario was fined $10 000, plus interest, plus "emotional damages" for failing to declare a Gay Pride Day for the city. The Knights of Columbus were fined $2 000 plus "emotional damages" for refusing to rent a hall they own to a couple for a homosexual wedding. The tribunal lives on...

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As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

The mayor of London, Ontario was fined $10 000, plus interest, plus "emotional damages" for failing to declare a Gay Pride Day for the city. The Knights of Columbus were fined $2 000 plus "emotional damages" for refusing to rent a hall they own to a couple for a homosexual wedding. The tribunal lives on...

What a joke! Obviously neither of these outcomes would have occurred here in the US. I guess I'll be complaining less loudly about our justice system here now that I've heard these things...

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.